LeBron James Voices Support for Arizona Ahead of NCAA Tournament

Arizona takes on Long Island University on Friday afternoon in the Round of 64. The Wildcats have one of the best fan bases in the country. Little did they know, the Wildcats just gained a massive fan.

That fan’s name is LeBron James. Does that sound familiar?

MOST WATCHED BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 📺 pic.twitter.com/7GGOuRqhMS
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 17, 2026

James’ son, Bryce, committed to the Wildcats on January 1, 2025. James was a 3-star prospect coming out of Sierra Canyon High School.

Bryce James Redshirts Freshman Season

The Wildcats announced at the beginning of February that James will redshirt his freshman season. He never appeared in a game all season and was never needed due to the success of the Wildcats.

There is no need to rush James if he is not ready; if the Wildcats are one of the best teams in the nation. James was a part of a loaded freshman class, which included Koa Peat and Brayden Burries.

It all starts Friday morning!!! pic.twitter.com/TUdif4fBxT
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 16, 2026

Head coach Tommy Lloyd believes in the long-term plan with James and is not worried about his future with the program.

"The redshirting decision was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds," Lloyd said. "I have real strong belief that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He's really shown a lot of progress, not only learning our system but just physically maturing."

1️⃣ in the West pic.twitter.com/8oYKf0B0g1
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 15, 2026

LeBron Cheers for Wildcats in NCAA Tournament

After the Wildcats captured the Big 12 championship, James got to add more hardware to his family. LeBron noted how proud he is of his son and that he is rooting for the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.

Bryce James added another championship to the family collection after his Arizona Wildcats won the Big 12 Tournament title.

Asked his pops about seeing his son be a part of that and it brought a smile to LeBron’s face:

“To see the success that they’re having and him enjoying it… pic.twitter.com/rCc9u32Qhk
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) March 17, 2026

“I mean, listen, man, to have our kid be able to experience that — to see the joy on his face, the happiness that he has being there in Arizona, learning from a lot of the vets and learning from some of the guys that he came into class with — I think it’s just a great experience, and it’s going to pay dividends for him going into next year. But he’s just living in the moment.”

“None of you guys know Bryce, but he’s kind of just like me when it comes to how we just — I’m like him. I’m a big Bryce. That’s what I am, you know.”

“But to see the success that they’re having, to see him enjoying that and being able to experience that — I always say the best teacher in life is experience. So, of course, I don’t have a choice but to root for Arizona. I mean, my son’s there. So I’m definitely rooting for them in the tournament, and we’ll see what happens.”